These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Tag Archives: community

Adamantly Helpful

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Josh Pernick

Back in my host family’s home after an amazing day of teaching at the Ulus School, and with a few hours to spare before Shabbat, I decided to do a little exploring around my temporary neighborhood. After putting on my coat, hat (because you can’t wear a kippah outside in Turkey, but that’s a whole Continue Reading »

Pardes *is* my family

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez

As I progress in my pregnancy and it becomes so visibly obvious people become more and more free with their questions, and one of the most common ones I get goes something like this: Person: Are you going to have the baby here or go back to America? Me: Here! 🙂 Person: Is your family Continue Reading »

Institute

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

From my blog: This isn’t the first time I have written about The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and honestly, it probably won’t be the last. Today, Shabbat, Parsha Va’Eira, was very special. There was a Bar Mitzvah of Avi, a son of one my teachers at Pardes, Meesh Hammer Kossoy. I have no idea Continue Reading »

A special davening.

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

There was something very special about this morning’s davening (praying) that I don’t always feel. But it started way before my friend started to sing pesukei d’zimra (the opening blessings). This morning wasn’t your average morning, yes, we came early for davening at 7am like other days, but it was difficult. After the Jerusalem snow Continue Reading »

Walk Torah, Talk Torah with David Levin-Kruss

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Meira Cohen

On November 29, David Levin-Kruss walked up and down the High Line in NYC, teaching Torah and raising money for cancer research. Among those who joined him was an incoming student. by Meira Cohen I’m not due to arrive in Jerusalem for another month, but I have already experienced the legendary warmth of Pardes. As Continue Reading »

Nataliya’s Bat Mitzvah – Photos & Video

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Sara Spanjer

On Monday, December 9, one of our fellow students, Nataliya Naydorf, celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Robinson’s Arch. Despite the cold weather and wet ground, we were all warm listening to Nataliya read beautifully from the Torah, and her meaningful and well written D’var Torah on Parshat Vayechi. Nataliya is, beyond question, a role model Continue Reading »

A Song of Gratitude and Request

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Ahava Zarembski

This is a song of gratitude and request As I flow into the next phase of life May I integrate all of the various pieces of myself May I share it with others may I share it with myself May I stand in fullness in all of the fragments That once shattered into being And Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Awakening the Divine

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Baruch Tauber

Dear Friends In January, I attended my first meditation retreat at Awakening the Divine. As a beginner to meditation practice, I definitely had my doubts. Sit for hours at a time?! Not talk to anyone?! Really?! Will I have a million emails when I get back? Will I die from boredom? What the hell will Continue Reading »

A Name for Us / A Name for You

Posted on October 6, 2013 by David Bogomolny

I presented this dvar at our Shabbaton yesterday: Parshat Noach contains one of my favorite Biblical stories: that of the Tower of Babel. Together with you, I’d like to tease a few details out of the p’shat (the simple reading of the text), explore two midrashim (early rabbinic exegesis), and suggest a metaphor for the Continue Reading »

Sukkot 5774 Dvar Torah

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Jessica Baverman

From my blog: You shall dwell in Sukkot seven days. All citizens of Israel will stay in Sukkot, so that your generations may know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. (Leviticus 23:42-43) The Torah lets us know that Sukkot has Continue Reading »